Seraphs of the Emperor’s Judgment

Chapter 174: Reconciliation

Their first destination was the chapelry aboard the Starfire, a magnificent edifice exuding the absolute majesty of the Emperor.

Its spire, adorned with countless gargoyles and hymnal verses etched into every stone, thrust straight up into the endless void like a drawn sword. The colossal, gleaming metal doors were etched with sacred iconography and poems of penitence, inspiring every Astartes who passed through them to harbor an absolute, burning hatred for any evil force that dared challenge the Emperor's glory.

Within the chapelry, the massive vaulted ceiling created a cavernous space, inspiring the deepest contemplation in all who visited.

The enclosing walls were decorated with sprawling frescoes depicting the Astral Knights' heroic struggles against heretics, traitors, and xenos.

Stained glass windows portrayed the Golden Throne surrounded by a silver choir of Astropaths. Starlight shone from above, casting the Emperor's blessing into every corner of the chapelry.

In a smaller chapel situated behind the main altar, the Astropathic choir knelt in silent prayer.

Their voices were silver-white and pure, an aria that transcended all physical senses and pierced directly into the soul.

It was enough to fill every dark corner of the soul with arias of purity and light.

Malakim took in this magnificent spectacle as he walked. While the chapelry aboard the Mother of Tears was in no way inferior to this one, the story it conveyed was entirely different.

After concluding the tour of the chapelry, Soshyan led Malakim into a memorial hall.There was no complex ornamentation here: only pitch-black walls, a miniature cenotaph, and stasis racks displaying the weapons of fallen warriors.

What truly shocked Malakim was the number engraved upon the cenotaph.

771—

Having been hopelessly mired in their own tragic war, the Lamenters had yet to hear the saga of the Astral Knights. As Soshyan calmly recounted the campaign that had seen his Chapter annihilated, Malakim's frozen, statuesque expression finally began to crack.

Soshyan held his helmet in the crook of his left arm. His skin tone was nearly identical to the color of his armor, and his eyes burned with an extraordinary brilliance.

"We mourn for our brothers of the Lamenters."

He spoke in a soft, gentle tone:

"Because we understand the agony of loss more intimately than anyone. But the Astral Knights will never yield. We firmly believe that even if only thirty-three of us remain, the Chapter will endure until the very last man draws his final breath."

"Is that false hope, Chapter Master Soshyan?"

Malakim inquired, his tone laced with gloom and sorrow.

But the question felt more like an interrogation of his own soul.

"It is hope."

"What is hope? We, too, were once filled with hope."

Malakim's emotions suddenly surged, as if every ounce of injustice and terrible misfortune he had endured over two centuries of service had violently erupted at that exact moment.

He raised a hand, pointing forcefully at the Aquila mounted above the cenotaph.

"But we have never been granted hope! Hope... is dead."

"Hope may not serve as fuel to drive you forward, but it can certainly serve as a weapon."

Soshyan replied with perfect calm:

"To my mind, hope is accepting the absolute worst-case scenario and choosing to push forward anyway. While our hope may be nothing more than a guttering candle in a freezing wind, that does not mean we simply abandon the fight... I changed our Chapter's battle cry to 'The Chapter Lives On,' and it will remain so until there is no one left to shout it."

"The Chapter Lives On..."

Malakim turned those four words over and over in his mind.

Then, he shot a glance at Lord Malakim standing nearby, before speaking softly to Soshyan:

"I apologize for my previous attitude, Chapter Master Soshyan."

"No, there is no need. I intimately understand the agony of a body and soul ripped apart. You have lost a great deal, and not just in material terms."

"But I still haven't discerned your true intentions."

"We are fighting a war. A war against the greenskins."

Malakim frowned. He was thinking, and he was also suspecting—wondering if this man intended to use them as cannon fodder for this war.

However, that possibility was quickly dismissed. He was still willing to believe Soshyan didn't harbor such profound malice.

"Our Chapter is currently utterly exhausted. My warriors are plagued by doubts, and—"

He swept another glance over Lord Malakim, who remained as motionless as a statue.

"We cannot fight alongside those we do not trust."

"And that brings me to the second matter I wish to address."

Soshyan offered a slight smile.

He stepped between Lord Malakim and Malakim Phoros, then turned to the Chapter Master of the Excoriators and asked:

"Lord Malakim, if the Lamenters Chapter were to fall into mortal peril right at this very moment, what would you do?"

Lord Malakim uncrossed his arms. With a low hum of servos, he shifted his stance.

He looked at Malakim, remained silent for a moment, and then answered:

"I do not trust them."

Malakim's face remained utterly impassive, as if he had known exactly what the answer would be. But then, Lord Malakim continued:

"But I would still go to their rescue."

The Chapter Master of the Lamenters raised his brow, registering a flicker of genuine surprise for the first time.

"I am no bleeding-heart saint, but since the Emperor has seen fit to forgive them, then they are still Astartes. They are... battle-brothers. There is no justifiable reason to abandon them. This is simply my nature; do not read any ulterior motives into it."

Soshyan nodded in a gesture of respect toward the older Space Marine, then turned his gaze to Malakim Phoros.

"Chapter Master Malakim, if the Excoriators Chapter were to fall into mortal peril, what would you do?"

The man lowered his head, remaining silent for a long time. Then, he looked up, his expression dead serious:

"Our battle cry is 'For those we cherish, we die in glory.' No matter what we have endured, or how terribly we have been treated, our convictions have never faltered. Therefore... I would do everything in my absolute power to save them."

Soshyan nodded, then raised both arms, balancing them like the scales of justice.

"Then tell me, what determines the fate and future of a Chapter? Is it tradition? Or the grievances and feuds of ancestors long past?"

The two Chapter Masters looked at each other, saying nothing.

"If you ask me, it is neither. It is our convictions. It is the unquenchable flame of hope burning within the heart of every generation of warriors."

As he spoke, he lowered his arms.

"And it is the choices we make in the here and now."

Soshyan took a step backward, leaving a clear path between the two Chapter Masters.

"Now tell me, what is your choice?"

Absolute silence reigned within the memorial hall, broken only by the faint sounds of breathing.

Two minutes later, Lord Malakim was the first to step forward. A heartbeat later, Malakim Phoros mirrored the movement.

They walked toward each other, their strides growing increasingly resolute.

When they were but an arm's length apart, they halted simultaneously.

Finally, a bright yellow gauntlet and a dark black gauntlet firmly clasped each other.

Soshyan also stepped forward, extending his hand to rest upon their joined grip.

On this day, two Chapters that had remained sworn enemies for millennia finally achieved reconciliation. The Lamenters formally announced their intervention in the Vorenus system campaign against the greenskins, marking it as the first battle of their Penitent Crusade.

In response, the Excoriators Chapter—the original architects of the campaign—declared that the Lamenters Chapter would receive unconditional resupply within the warzone. They would also establish a temporary staging ground for the Lamenters to effect repairs and recuperate, aiding them in rapidly restoring their combat effectiveness.

In private, Soshyan offered a solemn promise: following the war's conclusion, the Lamenters Chapter would be granted a Lunar-class Cruiser, currently under construction, as payment for their participation. Furthermore, any and all spoils captured during the campaign—be it wargear, materiel, or voidships—would belong entirely to them.